Erica Maskaleris, the owner of a computer consulting company, went missing March 7.

Authorities were led to believe that Maskaleris may have jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge after tracking her cellphone to the bridge, where the signal stopped the day she disappeared, according to Oakland Police.

There is also surveillance video that puts Maskaleris on the bridge last Thursday, police said.

Maskaleris' body has not been recovered.

Erica Maskaleris

In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, family spokeswoman Mary Lim-Lampe said "the family of Erica Maskaleris has been notified by the police that they are suspending their search as they believe Erica to be deceased. No other details will be released."

Dozens of people distributed hundreds fliers over the last six days in hopes of finding her.

"We thank the community of First Congregational Church of Oakland for all their love and support. We thank all the volunteers for their help in the search for Erica. Finally, we thank the Oakland Police Department for being so diligent in their service to our family,'' the statement says.

Authorities said police told Maskaleris' family Tuesday that police were investigating her death as an unconfirmed suicide.

Advertisement

California Highway Patrol Officer Andrew Barclay, whose said his office was working with Oakland Police in the investigation, said the family was cooperative.

The video from the bridge was recorded several hours after an Oakland bakery's surveillance video captured Maskaleris walking in the 3400 block of Telegraph Avenue on March 7, police said. Maskaleris had been booked on a flight to Texas last Thursday night to visit her brother Steve Torres. She did not make the flight or call to cancel. Torres was not available for comment Wednesday.

Maskaleris is a native of Fresno who moved to Oakland about seven years ago. She founded GeekoSystems, a computer consultation company based in Oakland, with her husband, Josiah Maskaleris, in 2009.

He died of cancer Feb. 8, 2012. Until she went missing, she had been operating the company with a business partner. Friends have said she did not seem distraught or despondent recently.

Anyone with information is asked to call the police at 510-238-3641 or 510-777-3333.